2024 Harehills riot
| 2024 Harehills riot | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Harehills Lane, where the height of the riot took place, pictured in August 2022 | |||
| Date | 18 July 2024 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Dispute over four children being taken into care by social services Anti-police sentiment | ||
| Methods | Rioting, arson, assault | ||
| Resulted in | Children were returned to the family | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
On 18 July 2024, a riot took place in the Harehills area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
The incident was triggered by a dispute over four children of a Romani family being taken into care by social services and police. The situation escalated as residents, angry and filming the police, gathered, forcing the police to retreat. The unrest involved violent confrontations between local residents and police officers, resulting in the overturning of a police car, the torching of a double-decker bus, a bonfire of debris blocking a main road and widespread disorder in the streets.
It was widely claimed on social media that the agitators were of Muslim background, predominantly from the Pakistani community that lives in the area, but reliable sources point out that the incident originated in the Romani community and the rioters came from a variety of backgrounds, including those of Pakistani origin.
The first arrests followed within days of the riot, and the first prison sentences for those involved were handed out in October 2024. By April 2025, 74 arrests had been made, 24 people charged with offences relating to the disorder, nine people had been jailed and four juveniles had received non-custodial sentences.